Someone on PW did once explain to me what a sophomore is, but I'm afraid I've forgotten...

[...]

Horo & CA: My screensaver is a random and regularly changing selection of my photos - sometimes piano ones, but at the moment it's beaches and lighthouses. Perhaps I need a holiday.

btb, we'll have to agree to disagree on the relative merits of op.7 slow mvt and that of op.13, and also on your method of judging merit by observing range of notes

Horo & CA: My screensaver is a random and regularly changing selection of my photos - sometimes piano ones, but at the moment it's beaches and lighthouses. Perhaps I need a holiday.

Yep Currawong, Frycek is right.

Frycek used to teach sophomores.

Grateful thanks to currawong for drawing attention to the Beethoven Sonata Opus 7 ... in particular the largo ... supported with kind words by my Holy Grail reference book ... which sees Opus 7 as perhaps the best of the early sonatas.

However, as earlier notes, Beethoven uses a modest canvas (never more than 3 octaves in extent) and is clearly still under the influence of early mentors Haydn and Mozart ... not to put too fine a point on it ... the structure is patchy (jumped to and fro) as are the switchback dynamics (loaded with short-lived 3 and 4-flag notes) ... by comparison the Appassionata Sonata stretches in places to a spread of 6 octaves.

As previously suggested, Beethoven breaks out of the mould in Opus 13 (Pathetique) to show his true colours ... in coming of age Beethoven cottoned on to the poetic importance of keeping the main musical structure simple ... and only going "fruity" (lots of notes) in well chosen bursts of unbridled rapture (which Chopin was later to master from the outset).

IMHO the slow movement of the Pathetique knocks socks off Opus 7 ... this after spending the past 2 days practising the largo (easy to sight-read because of the slow tempo) ... and thereby able to suggest a qualified take.

Junior High was grades 7, 8, 9 (and high schools were 3 year)

At least here in Los Angeles virtually all the public schools are called Middle School and run grades 6,8,9 (and high school run a traditional 4 years)

Thanks stores, for your comments on the Beethoven Sonata Opus 7.

It was out of respectful attention to currawong’s comments on the largo that thoughts were presented ... opinions obviously must differ ... but to answer you questions

1. Patchy structure ... isolated note structures between half-measure silences as at m1, 2 and 3.
2. Switchback dynamics ... gentle pp followed by coarse ff ... as at m19-20
3. Range ... please check your argument on the Appassionata using a superior piano ... not according to my info.
4. "Fruity" ... racy note patterns gain moment when slipped into a stable flowing structure ...
5. Short-lived 3 and 4-flag notes tend to jar (m26-27) ... although intense, can so easily spoil the flow.
6. Qualified to give a "take” ... use of a MIDI format for some thousand masterpieces has given the advantage of a birds-eye view of compositional genius ... as an architect versed in plan and sectional views of structures ...the opening Allegro assai to the Appassionata Sonata Opus 57 never fails to draw a hand-clap for an exquisite layout ... after the thematic Dual Statement (m1-4 followed by m5-8) ... note the "fruity" cascade of notes to m14-15 which extends over 6 octaves ... close-knitted Opus 7 largo seems tame by comparison ... thus my thought that Beethoven has thrown off the baggage of Haydn and Mozart.

PS The story that K. 457 influenced Op.13 has got whiskers on it.

Interesting.

Our schools are

Pre-school
Kindergarten
Elementary 1-6
Middle school 7&8
High school 9-12. (im a sophomore ;))

dont let this awesome thread die are there no more pictures

Must not have enough to do. There's only so much owl cam one can watch.

Owl Cam - great for practice breaks when there's nothing on Piano World

That creeps me out. Not because it is an owl, but because it feels like some sort of weird high-tech intrusion where it isn't needed, and doesn't belong.